Chapter 210: Finding Miss Wei
This was a ‘merchandise’ sold when Jin Sui was still the Li, the Boundless King, besides the unique copy gifted to Yan Jiu which sold for Ten Thousand Taels.
The others were printed at a hundred taels each. Initially, everyone mocked, saying Li King had gone mad for money, daring to sell a broken book for a hundred taels!
Later, gentry disciples begged Miss Yan to bring goods, taking them all home as collectibles. Then, our Li King had plenty of money and no longer cared for this ‘dirty money’, directly announcing it was sealed and no longer for sale.
This made the Thirty-Six Stratagems with Li King’s personal seal even more sought after, becoming legendary rare books. The gentry disciples who had bought them before treasured them as precious items.
Those who didn’t buy them regretted it immensely, thinking if they had known Li King would stop selling them later, they would have bought one even for a thousand taels!
Therefore, every copy of the Thirty-Six Stratagems with Li King’s personal seal was treasured as a precious item.
It was impossible for something to appear so tattered that its cover was about to fall off, stained with blood and mud.
Jin Sui herself found it somewhat distasteful, taking the book wrapped in a cloth corner: “Why did the Prince send this over?”
The personal guard’s face was filled with grief: “Leader Ji, please open it and take a look.”
Jin Sui opened the book, her pupils contracting instantly, her face changing drastically, because the title page read: “To Wei Yingniang.”
This was the one she had given to Wei Assistant Secretary to take away! It was also the second book she had written a dedication in, after Yan Jiu.
She hurriedly asked the personal guard: “Where is she? Where is the owner of this book?”
The book was in such a state, and neither she nor Gu Changxiao had received any prior news from Wei Assistant Secretary.
That meant the worst possible news: Wei Assistant Secretary was either dead or imprisoned, unable to send any messages.
This book was a token from his family or confidant, brought to the Border City to find Li King.
The personal guard shook his head: “The Prince has already searched among the refugees, and asked Miss to search among the refugees as well.”
Jin Sui quickly had someone turn the carriage around to inform Yan Shiyi and Li Heng, and to search Yanzhou City. All outsiders entering the city were to be investigated to see if they were Wei Assistant Secretary’s family.
She then reacted and hurriedly called to stop the bodyguards, saying there was no need to inform Li Heng, just to have the Yan family investigate secretly.
A public search by the government could easily scare the other party and be known to Prince Yu’s people.
Jin Sui was extremely anxious. Wei Assistant Secretary was one of the few people in this era that she worried about.
In her heart, Wei Assistant Secretary, like the Black Feather Camp brothers, was a comrade with whom she had shared life and death!
She vividly remembered his appearance when he returned to Chang’an, returning with hopes for a bright future, where his wife and daughter, his family and friends awaited.
After returning to Chang’an, his contact with the Border City had not been broken.
That time when Li King sent New Year’s Gifts of kelp to the Chang’an gentry, waiting for their return gifts, the soldiers who went to Chang’an were secretly looked after and guided by Wei Assistant Secretary.
He had helped investigate the cause of Father Ling’s death, but because the matter was of great importance, Jin Sui feared implicating him, so she asked him to suspend the investigation.
In short, although Wei Assistant Secretary had returned to Chang’an, in everyone’s eyes, he was still one of them.
Whether it was Cheng Yu or Han Xing, they often mentioned him, and everyone looked forward to reuniting in Chang’an when the Prince returned.
Or perhaps Wei Assistant Secretary would one day come to the Border City to serve as an official with his family. Seeing the current Border City, Wei Assistant Secretary would surely be greatly surprised.
Who would have thought that the next news of Wei Assistant Secretary would be in this manner.
Jin Sui abandoned the carriage and, instead of returning to the Border City, had the personal guard take her to see the refugees.
The most likely scenario was that the book’s owner was still in the refugee camp. Hei Hu went with her, and Han Xing returned to the Border City to await orders.
She no longer found the book dirty and carefully flipped through it from beginning to end. When she saw blank spaces in the pages marked with phonetic notations used by children learning to read.
That’s right, there were phonetic notations in ancient times too, just different from modern pinyin. They used the fanqie method for annotation, for example, ‘ugly’ would be marked with ‘eat’ plus ‘lotus root’.
Jin Sui’s heart stirred. This book was given by Wei Assistant Secretary to his daughter, and it must have been Yingniang, the little girl, who added the phonetic notations.
Thinking from another perspective, if Wei Assistant Secretary had indeed met with misfortune and couldn’t escape, he would have done his best to let someone escape, and it would definitely be his daughter!
Then he would tell her to go north, to the Border City, and find Li King.
Jin Sui felt her eyes sting and her heart ache. She had been too careless. As soon as the Northern Frontier envoy arrived in Chang’an, she should have had Huo Zi’an protect Wei Assistant Secretary in advance.
If Prince Yu wanted to cause trouble for Gu Changxiao, he would definitely target officials close to the Border City first.
How old was Wei Yingniang? She had never seriously asked. When Wei Assistant Secretary spoke of his daughter, she was sometimes a babbling infant, and sometimes a thoughtful little confidante.
In any case, she was not yet ten years old. A girl under ten years old traveling from Chang’an all the way to the Border City would endure so much hardship, Jin Sui knew too well.
She had traveled at a forced march pace, resting for one night at a post station, and met up with Gu Changxiao by evening the next day.
Gu Changxiao was also surprised: “Why is Sui Sui here?”
Jin Sui showed him the book: “Have you found anyone?”
“No, we are still investigating.”
With tens of thousands of people, the investigation would take time.
Jin Sui said urgently: “First, check for children, girls under ten years old.”
Simply saying to check for girls could easily cause panic among the populace, perhaps even making them think the government was selling girls.
In this era, the common people did not have much trust in the government, as in many places, the government and gentry colluded to exploit the people.
An idea struck her: “How about this, I’ll set up a sugar water stall, and only women and children can come to get sugar water.”
Brown sugar, red date, and ginger tea were most suitable for drinking in the cold weather. She also brought a pile of energy bars and gave one to each child.
The bodyguards helped maintain order, and she selected dozens of women to cook the sugar water, adding a ginger water stall next to the porridge stall.
Upon hearing that only women and children could get it, the populace didn’t have too many objections. Although some grumbled, everyone was cold, why only give it to women and children?
But others quickly interrupted: “Since entering Yandi, we haven’t lacked two bowls of porridge a day. It’s already difficult enough for the Prince to take charge of us, so say less!
Are you really going to fight with women and children for food?”
“Then why did the Prince refuse when the wealthy families wanted people to become tenant farmers before?”
“Are you deaf? Haven’t you heard? Last year when the Prince came, some gentry families practiced human sacrifice!
He said they would be tenant farmers, with houses and farmland given to them on the spot. Who knows if that was true?
Isn’t it good for us to be commoners in the Border City? Why should we be slaves to the gentry?”
…
Although the surrounding discussions were quiet, Jin Sui still overheard a few snippets. She asked Gu Changxiao: “Didn’t you tell the people that farmland and housing plots would be allocated when they reach the Border City?”
Gu Changxiao sighed softly: “We did, but they are half-believing.”
He sighed again: “When it comes to deceiving the common people, the gentry are more experienced.”
He didn’t say the common people were foolish, only that the gentry were good at deceiving. Jin Sui also sighed, realizing that no matter how much was said, it was useless. Only when the common people reached the Border City and witnessed it for themselves would they know.
Soon, several large pots of ginger tea were brewed, and Jin Sui began her search. She held the Thirty-Six Stratagems and stood by the tea barrels.
For any little girl around ten years old who came by, she would ask: “Is this yours?”
Later, thinking about her own disguise as a man, she asked both boys and girls.
The children timidly shook their heads, not even daring to say “no.” Only when they received their tea bowls and energy bars did their eyes light up.
Jin Sui noticed that these children all had frostbite, and most of them had no shoes, their feet cold and purplish.
Cheng Yu quickly explained: “The Border City has already prepared clothing, and they will be given new winter clothes upon arrival.”
Jin Sui shook her head: “Have someone send them over first! The sooner they wear them, the less they’ll suffer from the cold.”
Cheng Yu said softly: “It’s not that we don’t care about the people, but before, we had to guard against the gentry snatching people, and against people being incited to rebel and flee, so we didn’t have time for these things.”
Jin Sui nodded: “I know. It’s already difficult enough to manage two meals a day.
By the way, have those instigators been arrested?”
A hint of ferocity flashed in Cheng Yu’s eyes: “Miss, rest assured, they have been secretly sent to the Border City.”
Jin Sui smiled: “That’s good. Let them undergo re-education in the Tuntian Camp!”
She regretted coming so quickly. If she had known, she would have brought winter clothes from the Border City using her space. Seeing that more than half the line had passed and no one had claimed the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
She felt both anxious and panicked. What if that little girl was already gone, and this book was picked up by a passerby?
No! It wouldn’t happen. Heaven would favor her, and the little girl would surely reach the Border City alive!
Just then, she saw a thin, small girl, about eight or nine years old, with extremely bright eyes, gazing intently at the book in her hand.
She tried to open her mouth several times, but the boy holding her arm signaled her to lower her head.
Seeing that the little girl had shoes on her feet, while the boy was barefoot. Jin Sui’s heart stirred. This boy was not a bad person holding her hostage, but a companion.
She didn’t immediately ask the little girl, but first gave them tea and energy bars. She also spooned two more red dates into the little girl’s bowl.
Then she said to them: “Sit in the tent and drink, it’s warm.”
The boy saw that quite a few children were sitting in the tent, so he led the girl inside.
The girl’s gaze remained fixed on the book in Jin Sui’s hand, occasionally looking at Jin Sui, then at Gu Changxiao outside, contemplating something.
Jin Sui could understand her caution. The dangers she had encountered along the way made it difficult for her to trust strangers again.
Perhaps this Li King was fake? Perhaps there were people from Prince Yu here? The instigators before had people from Prince Yu.
Perhaps her father had told her that it was only safe to reach the Border City, and she was waiting until she reached the Border City and confirmed that the Li King before her was real, before she would bravely reveal her identity!
Jin Sui planned to talk to her quietly after she had eaten and drunk and was less guarded.
Just then, she suddenly heard the boy exclaim: “Candy bar!”
He stared blankly at the energy bar in his hand, his face full of disbelief. Jin Sui smiled and stepped forward, handing him another one: “Is it delicious? And eat slowly.”
The boy boldly looked up, carefully examining Jin Sui. His demeanor was completely different from his previous posture of keeping his head down.
The more the boy looked, the brighter his eyes became, until tears welled up: “You are the little Taoist priest!”
Jin Sui was stunned for a moment. In the Northern Frontier, she was disguised as a Female Immortal. Right, when she first escaped with Grandpa Ling, she had disguised herself as a Young Taoist.
But that period was very short. She soon met Gu Changxiao and disguised herself as Li King in the Border City.
Looking closely at this child, she hadn’t seen him before!
She took the opportunity to hold up the book and offer it to the little girl: “Is this yours?”
The little girl still didn’t answer, until the boy pushed her: “Tell the truth, she is the little Taoist priest, she won’t harm us!”
The little girl then said: “It’s mine.”
“Your name is Wei Yingniang?”
“My name is Wei Yingzhi, my childhood name is Yingniang.”
“Your father’s name is Wei Qingquan? He asked you to come to the Border City to find Prince Li?”
“Yes.”
The little girl’s voice was soft, yet it carried a hint of resilience. Until she said: “My parents are dead.”
Tears streamed down her face instantly.
Jin Sui also wept uncontrollably, hugging the little Yingniang: “Good child, you have suffered!”
Gu Changxiao and Cheng Yu hurried into the tent to check the situation. Upon hearing that Wei Assistant Secretary’s daughter had been found, both were very excited. Jin Sui whispered to Yingniang: “This is Li King.”
“This is not a place to talk. Yingniang, would you like Sister to take you to the Prince’s tent?”
Yingniang instinctively held the boy’s hand. The boy quickly said: “Little Taoist priest, don’t you remember me? My name is Li Linfeng. Back in the refugee camp near Luocheng, you and an Old Taoist priest made a fire, and we borrowed it to roast, and you gave us many of these candy bars.”
Jin Sui’s memory was instantly pulled back to that long night. She also recognized the boy before her and said in surprise: “It’s you! Where are your brothers and sisters?”
Li Linfeng said joyfully: “You really remember me! They are also here. Our Beggar Children’s group came to the Border City with Yingniang.”
Jin Sui then took the two of them into Gu Changxiao’s tent, brought hot water to wash their hands and faces, applied medicine to Li Linfeng’s feet, and put on a pair of cotton shoes she had previously bought for Jin An.
She draped her cloak over the two children to warm them up, and then invited Gu Changxiao in to talk.
Fate is truly wondrous! Grandpa Ling probably wouldn’t believe that the orphans they had shared fire with and who had been given some energy bars out of compassion were now all in the Border City and reunited so unexpectedly.
Jin Sui gave Li Linfeng a pile of food and clothes, and had a bodyguard take him to find the other beggar children: “Bring them all here, Sister will take you all to the Border City together.
Your eyesight is truly good! You recognized me at a glance.”
Li Linfeng said happily: “I will never forget the little Taoist priest, not for a single day. You’ve just changed your clothes, and your appearance hasn’t changed, how could I not recognize you?”
Jin Sui chuckled. She really should let Yan Shiyi hear this; he hadn’t recognized her.
In the tent, Wei Yingniang spoke methodically about Wei Assistant Secretary: “Father said that Prince Yu asked Father to provide false testimony, to lie and frame Your Highness.
Father refused, so Prince Yu sent people to guard our house. When Mother hid me on a peddler’s cart, I saw many Commander’s Office people with knives going to our house.”
Yingniang started crying. Jin Sui quickly went forward to hug her and wipe her tears. After her emotions calmed down a bit, she continued:
“Mother said my maternal uncle would send me to the Border City, but after my maternal uncle received me, he wanted to hand me over to the Imperial Guards. So I disguised myself as a beggar and fled to the Border City with Brother Li.”
Jin Sui then asked: “Did your father give you any letters?”
Yingniang shook her head: “He only gave me this book. Father wanted to tell Your Highness that Prince Yu would resort to any means to slander Your Highness, so Your Highness should be wary.”
